Samsung announces a host of 5G-ready smartphones ahead of the Mobile World Congress 2019

Samsung beat rival brands to the punch by announcing their 5G-ready smartphones ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 at the Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is a 5G-optional phone with a foldable display that the company said will go on sale starting April 26th in the US.

It also introduced a 5G-ready phone to their Samsung Galaxy S10 range of devices — but the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G will only work in regions with 5G networks.

They won’t be cheap, but the first 5G-ready smartphones are ready to hit the shelves.

Samsung announced the entire Samsung Galaxy S10 range with the flagship being the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G their Unpacked event in San Francisco.

The new Samsung Galaxy Fold — which isn’t just a 5G phone, but also the first phone with a foldable display — was also announced at the event.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is a device for early adopters who are willing to shell out $999 (₹70,963). It’s launch for India may not be on the docket for a while since the 5G spectrum auctions haven’t been initiated in the country — let alone 5G networks becoming available to the ordinary consumer.

The Galaxy Fold, on the other hand, is another innovation by Samsung, giving it the first-mover advantage — and users don’t necessary need a 5G network to make the phone work because its ‘5G optional’, so it will work on a 4G network as well.

Breaking through the noise

Samsung’s been struggling in the market and the new device could potentially help the South Korean brand compete against the likes of Apple and Huawei. In fact, Huawei was the only brand in 2018 to gain market share, while all the other brands saw their sales fall due the China-US trade war.

Samsung’s worked with companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft so that their apps are optimised for the Galaxy Fold’s 7.3-inch display.

DJ Koh, the chief executive of Samsung Electronics even had a message for the naysayers, “It (the device) breaks new ground because it answers skeptics who said that everything that could be done has been done,” at Unpacked 2019.

"We are here to prove them wrong."

DJ Koh chief executive of Samsung Electronics at Unpacked 2019

Bringing the Samsung Galaxy Fold to the market involved implementing new manufacturing processes altogether for the phone’s hinge and flexible display so that it can be durable in the face of being opened and closed multiple times.

Introducing 5G to their flagship Galaxy device also puts Samsung ahead of competing brands — the only issue is that the phone will only work as 5G networks become available limiting the device’s sales potential.

While Apple has asserted that its 5G smartphone will only come into market in 2020, other brands are speculated to showcase their 5G devices at the MWC 2019 next week.

The Galaxy Fold will available in the US starting April 26th, but the launch [in India?] of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is scheduled for later this year in September.